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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Because the second I fell in love with a caster girl, no one I loved was safe. Lena thought she was the only one cursed, but she was wrong.

It was our curse now.

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town’s tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

I'm so excited about this review I can hardly stand it. My fingers are nervous with excitement as I type. This book was everything I'd hoped for and much, much more. Kami and Margaret write with such passion and intensity that every time I cracked the book opened I felt like some kind of Caster spell was put on me, for I felt like I was in another world, in a trance. The very same way Beautiful Creatures would make me feel. It's really a great way to ignore the loud children and hungry husband. I can't express how good the writing is. It will take you places you could only imagine in your wildest dreams.

Ethan... OH, Ethan. Since my husband does not read my reviews, I can say without hurting his feelings... ETHAN is tha' man. I have dreamt about him, for some reason my husband usually shows up and challenges Ethan to a dual, like in the days of Zorro. ( The mask really adds something ) I don't know where that came from???

OK, back to serious. Ethan's love for Lena is so strong and intoxicating. I think that his love for her was the backbone to this entire Caster/Mortal love story. Everything centers around What wouldn't Ethan do for Lena? Ethan goes to the ends of the earth and back for a girl that when he holds her hand, he feels the numbing shock of the cold or when he kisses her he feels literally on fire. Ethan doesn't care about any of that. Risking his life is not even a question when it comes to the love he cherishes most. Believe me Risking his life is an understatement!!! He loves Lena so much it was almost a drug to me when I was reading about it. I know what your thinking... This stay-at-home-mom has completely lost it!!!

Beautiful Darkness took me on a journey that I was not expecting. The Castor tunnels, the forest and the caves were all so well described and painted on paper, I felt like I could read the maps that Liv ( You'll meet her soon enough ) would hold and smooth out on the palms of her hand. Link was such a great best friend, Always there for Ethan and of course was funnier than ever. And Amma, made me miss my grandmother. She was the perfect mix of stubborn, protective and Don't-Even-Roll-Your-Eyes-at-Me-or-I'ma-Gonna-Beat-You-With-a-Stick type of love. You don't know whether to cry because your scared Amma really has a stick or smile because deep down she knows what's best.

Overall, I would have to say this book was pretty much perfection. I only have one tiny, negative, sad thing to say about this book and that would be, I wish Lena and Ethan were together more like in the BC. Since Lena doesn't want to cause Ethan any harm or put him in any type of danger she tries to keep a safe distance from him. Let me just say, Ethan Wate would have none of that nonsense...

There are so many other things I want to say about this book and about the characters that I loved so much, but spoilers would be involved and I can't do that!

* A word to the parents, there was very little language and mild violence in this book. Overall a clean read. There is a lot of Dark and Light magic. For full content review go to Parental Book Reviews.

@ My 5 Monkeys (Julie) Unless you really have five monkeys, I find that very odd, yet entertaining. If you mean kiddos - right back at ya'. I also have five wonderful monkeys who sometimes act like kids. Thanks for the comment.

@ Windowpane Memoirs I think the exact same thing. Something so special. And I'm glad I can pass them on to my daughter because they are pretty much a clean read :o)

When I read your review I want this book more than everything !!! It doesn't help me to be patient and I have to wait more than you guys because I'm french... But I'm a little sad because Lena isn't often with Ethan. Still waiting the release of BD on November, 17th.

@ Marine > Don't worry about Lena not being with Ethan very much... It is written so well you'll hardly notice :) There is also another twist in the mix so it will be so worth the wait even if you are French. haha.

Thank you, now I want to know what is that other twist about xD. Arrrrgggg if I could read a whole book in english...I envy people who have already read BD.I have a french blog if you want to see : beautiful-lunes.skyblog.com.English fans are so lucky !